While she loved to be out on a boat, a fisherman at heart, she had to get back on dry land. Stepping off of the boat and onto the dock, Brook had finally made it to her destination; Ishinomori. She took a map from a display on the docks. Just as she thought, it was mostly forest, with the resort in the center of the island; that there was her final stop. There were several roads, so traveling would be easy; she also knew how good Xiva’s public transit was far superior to Castor’s. There was even a cozy little village to the East that had a market for easy shopping, so if she ever wanted to try some local cuisine, that was the place! Hell, there was even a bamboo forest not too far from the resort, that would sounded fun to check out. Cozy was definitely the best way to describe how she was feeling right about now. Taking a deep breath and slicking back the fur atop her head, the hyena gripped the straps of her backpack and headed towards the bus stop; yet another form of public transportation that she had to take. Hey, it beat driving.
In the corner of her eye, she spotted Iz, chatting with a group of men in suits. Suits that she recognized; 2 men and 3 women, 4 of which that dressed in black in white suits, while one of them possessed a red shirt. Primal really was staked out here. Was there really something going on or were they here just because of Iz?
Well, it wasn’t her problem, she had a vacation to take.
Now at the bus stop, she sat upon the slightly wet bench; wet from being so close to the shore, at least that’s what she told herself. Now alone, she could finally have a smoke to calm her nerves; the air smelled fresher here, fresher than the ocean platform she just got off of and definitely fresher than her hometown of Palegreen. So of course she was going to fill her lungs with tobacco smoke. This was simple Brook logic.
Sighing in relief, she leaned back, closing her eyes. She wondered how Ethan was doing. She hoped he was doing fine without her; he and Eli could definitely get along, he he definitely wasn’t lonely. Plus, Pocketknife was probably there to take her place til she got back. She shook her head, scolding herself for acting like Ethan was a kid who couldn’t be unattended. But, in doing so, it was then that she realized; why was she even mad at him to begin with, as she lost herself in the harsh taste of her cigarette. It was some dumb argument that the two of them mutually overreacted to, brought on by a whole night’s worth of fatigue. Oh yeah, she almost died too. But that was a whole different thing, not really Ethan’s fault. That dumb bat. He better be happy and healthy when she got back, or she would smack him hard. Smack the happiness right into him.
When was the bus gonna get here? Probably a minute or two. She definitely had a few minutes to think about whatever she wanted, maybe get a little gift for her friend, to show them how much she loved them. You know what? Hell no, the that would be shmaltzy as fuck; the love part, she was still planning on getting her friends a souvenir. Giving herself a long good stretch, she groaned, still loving the renewed vigor that Iz gave her, particularly her back. “Fuckin eh, this Primal thing really is the best and worst thing that’s ever happened to me. Should I be saying that out loud? Too late I guess,” She laughed, talking to herself felt good. Shifting over, she lied down on the bench. She was the only one here, so it wasn’t like she was inconveniencing anyone, beyond looking like a nuisance; which was already something she unintentionally did naturally.
That was when she heard someone approaching her, breaking her out of her relaxed trance. Quickly, as quick as she lied back, the hyena stood up straight; just in case the new person wanted to sit down. He was a young man, probably around her age; actually, he was probably older than her, but he had a youthful, handsome face. A white rabbit, his stark fur possessing no dirt or grime, giving him a pristine appearance. Wait? Didn’t Kaya mention that the Rider was a rabbit?
“Ah hey,” he said, with a friendly, tone. “Are you Brook?”
“Yeah,” She nodded, putting her cigarette out, as to not blow smoke in such a pretty looking rabbit’s face. “Rider?”
He gave a nervous chuckle. “Uh, yeah, that’s me. But, please, call me Gentaro. Gentaro Hojo. It’s a bit silly to call me by my title when I don’t have the mask on.” He said as he held his hand out for Brook to shake.
Brook nodded, shaking his hand. “Makes sense, Gentaro,” she said repeating his name for practice. “You Primal guys are very good at just appearing when you’re most needed. Like a film and things need to be moved along.”
“What an odd thing to say,” he said, unsure of how to reply to that. “Well, Miss Kali told me about you.” He said, referring to Kaya. So that’s what her last name was, Brook thought to herself. “She said you’d be getting off here and, uh, well… You are very easy to spot. Sorry if that seems weird.” Despite his friendly and seemingly confident tone, there were parts where said tone cracked. Like chipping paint, his confident and friendly demeanor poorly hid a degree of equally friendly bashfulness. Frankly? It was adorable. “But yes, glad that Xiva has treated you well and I hope my hometown of Ishinomori treats you just as well.”
“I take pride in standing out.” Brook laughed. She dressed in her small shorts, t-shirt, and punk rock jacket, decorated with several pins and patches from bands she liked. Definitely different than the island’s residents. “Well, I didn’t really say I wanted to meet with you, no offense. Just said that I was interested in meeting you.” She scratched her arm. “But, hell, if you’re here, wouldn’t mind getting to know you.” She stood up, as the bus began to appear in the distance. “…And what do you know? There’s our ride.”
“Thank you,” he nodded, as he stood alongside her, “I’ll pay for the bus, don’t worry.” He said, holding up a few Soma bills. “I would hate for you to have to spend money on vacation on things like the bus.”
“How kind of you. Bus fair is only about 200 shells.” Brook gave a thumbs up, unsure of how much it cost in Soma, as she and Gentaro got on the bus, making sure to wave hello to the elderly bus driver; strangely, they were the only people on the bus. Before long, the bus was on its way, shouldn’t be more than 10 minutes before they got to the resort. In the meantime, Brook watched as the scenery went by, still not tired of the view of the ocean. “So, Gentaro, what’s it like in Ishinomori? Just what am I in for while I’m here?”
“Quiet.” Gentaro nodded, before his wides widened in embarrassment. “I don’t mean for you to be quiet, sorry! I mean it’s quiet here.”
“Yeah, don’t worry, I got that. Anyways, go on?”
He nodded, calming down. “Uh, well, we recently had a problem with a group known as Lightning Strike. They’re an off shoot of the New Castor Northist Movement. I took care of them though, so they’re more or less gone from the island.” He sighed, “But my work isn’t done yet, they’re still placed throughout the rest of Xiva.”
“So you guys have a problem with Northists as well?” She said, groaning, having had a run in with them a few months ago. “Well, they’re not much of an organization in my hometown, even if they started in New Castor. But we have a shitty Northist gang where I live. Worst part? They liked me because I’m punk, somehow not knowing that punk and fascism are exact opposites. They got really mad when I told them to go fuck themselves.”
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“In that case, do you want to see if I can stamp them out as well?” He said, giving a proclamation of violence in the most kind and gentle voice possible.
“Don’t think you have to go that far, Gen.” Brook shook her head. “They’re just a shitty street gang. The worst thing they do is break shit and make people uncomfortable… You know what? Fuck that, what am I saying? If you ever come by, crack their skulls for me, will you? I’d like that very much, thank you.”
“Gladly,” He laughed.
Yeah, Brook was going to like this guy.
“But I was gonna ask you about that. You’re some sort of superhero here?” She asked, speaking low. The bus driver was focused on the winding road, but she didn’t want to take chances.
“Oh you don’t have to whisper.” Gentaro shook his head, “It’s pretty much an open secret here.” He opened up the duffle bag he was carrying. Inside was a helmet with a six eyed lens design. It was less a mask and more of a customized motorcycle helmet. “I just don’t like being called Rider when I’m not wearing the helmet. Just a personal preference.”
“So everyone knows you’re Rider here?”
“Pretty much. I don’t have a family… Or many friends… So I don’t have to worry about people close to be being put in danger. Plus, this place is really quiet, so I don’t have to worry about being swarmed by paparazzi. If I made a villain mad and they want me dead, they’ll come to me, and I can protect myself.”
“Being a superhero doesn’t sound like it pays the bills though.” If it did, everyone would want to be a superhero. But if everyone is a superhero, then there would be no villains. If there are no villains, then there are no superheroes. See the problem?
“You’d be surprised. I work on donations. By Xivan law, what I do is illegal, vigilantism is on the same level as being a criminal, in the eyes of the government. But I can’t rely on cops or military to handle the Northist problem here.”
“Damn right.”
“Other than that, I do a few jobs. Mostly delivering packages and work on the farms. I’m quite strong, you know.” He said, with a bashful expression.
“What about the money from Primal?” Brook asked.
“The money from Primal is going to the poorer communities of Ishinomori. What I spend on myself is the bare minimum to get by; food, clothing, motorcycle repairs, and cleanliness. Others are happy because of me and I’m happy because of it.” He said, looking at his fist. “Primal pays well, even if I don’t like hurting people who aren’t evil.”
Brook nodded, giving him a pat on the back to tell him that she understood. “Yeah. I know someone who is exactly the same. I think you’d like him.”
Soon, they reached the resort. It wasn’t really a resort, actually, it was a small building, not much bigger than a camping lodge. Exactly what Brook was hoping for actually; she would’ve hated if it was a huge building. As she and Gentaro hopped off the bus, thanking the driver, Brook took some time to stretch again, still feeling limber. “Finally.” She grinned, prancing towards the resort. “Finally my vacation can begin proper.”
“Again, I’ll pay for whatever you want.”
“You’re too generous.” Brook said, “Don’t worry about it, it’s already been paid for. A full night of whatever I want; could get the happy ending treatment even if I get a massage.”
“Happy ending?” Gentaro said, his innocent mind unsure of what that means. “Uh, you sure? I could give you the money you spent-?” He said, before getting flicked on the forehead by Brook. “Ow…” He flinched.
“Stop that. There is such a thing as being too generous. Got to look out for yourself, right?” She said, before turning back to the resort. “Anyways, come on, let’s go…” She said, droning off before she noticed the small crowd formed in front of the building. A bunch of people, tourists mostly, all standing in front of the place, chatting. Something didn’t feel right? Among them was Iz, crossing her arms, in an annoyed pout.
“Hey, Iz,” Brook said, running up to her, Gentaro by her side. “How did you get here before us?” Did she teleport? Could she teleport? Could anyone teleport?
“I have a personal driver.” She said, “Buses are slow… I see that you met Rider.” She gave Gentaro a wave.
“Just call me Gentaro.” he said, repeating what he told Brook.
“Ah, duh,” Brook nodded, feeling dumb that teleportation was the first thing that came to her mind. “Anyways, what’s going on?”
“Exactly what I feared.” She said, pointing to the door with her long, thin finger. “Check the sign on the door. Looks like this place is fucked.”
There was a large crowd in front of the door, everyone wanted to read it. Brook didn’t quite feel like pushing through said crowd. “Could you just tell me what it says?”
“Ceiling Unlimited happened.” She said, “Underneath our feet, right under this resort, is a whole sorta mineral resources. Actually, Ishinomori as a whole is pretty resource rich, the whole island would make one big mine if a company managed to buy up the land. Don’t know what exactly what the mineral is, but the company wants it so the company is gonna get it. Looks like that means the resort is, well, closed.” So that was what she was talking with the Primal staff about earlier?
“Fucking really?! Doesn’t Ceiling already have enough?” What a coincidence; they were just talking about them on the plane.
“Yup, but they want more. That’s how billionaires work.” Iz shrugged, pushed through the crowd and urged Gentaro and Brook to follow her. “Come. I can get in anyways.” Holding up her Primal card from earlier. “Civilians can’t get in, sure, but us? We have special privileges. We’re Primal after all.”
This didn’t feel right. Brook and Gentaro both felt it. Brook, though, she did feel like she deserved a vacation, so she went with her. Gentaro, wanting to see more into this, kept his mouth shut for now as he followed the two girls in.
Two guards were stationed at the door. White Shirts from Primal, most likely in touch with Audwin, Ceiling Unlimited’s ever greedy CEO. They even stayed silent as Iz flashed the Primal card at them, getting them to stand to the side and open the sliding door to the spa. “There we go.” Iz snickered, “There should be more of us here, Primal members that is. Mostly Fighters, you might be the only Handler, Brook.”
Brook did recall Iz mentioning something like that earlier.
“Is the CEO of Ceiling Unlmited here?” Gentaro asked.
“What an odd thing to say.” Iz said, craning her neck back to look at him, “Not going to do something drastic with him, are you? I heard what happens to villains who cross you.”
Gentaro said nothing, keeping a silent and stoic expression, contrasting with his kind and gentle demeanor from before.
“My, my, how foreboding.” Iz said, “But no, I’ve been told he isn’t here. One of his fighters is here though. He wants to spend at least one night here before the place is permanently shut down. Before this whole island is turned into one big sweatshop. Audwin, well, he, doesn’t like spas, so he won’t be here.”
“Makes sense,” Gentaro said, “Then who is his fighter, the one staying here.”
“I’ll look for him, but he shouldn’t be too hard to spot.” Iz shrugged, “But enough about that, why don’t we just enjoy the spa for now. It’s so silly to be stressed out here.” She said, skipping away, with a laugh.
It wasn’t quite something that Gentaro could let go. But, for now, he clenched his fist as they walked into the lobby of the spa. Brook too, couldn’t shake it off; she was a bit better at it, but she just knew this situation was going to be rooted in the back of her mind.
The lobby was quite pretty. Wooden floors and walls, decorative paintings and pots, giving it a rural look. As if the whole place was a few decades in the past. Just the kind of place needed to forget about the troubles of modern day. An old man was stationed the front desk, not looking like he was in the best of moods.” That was probably because this place was going to be closed down in the next few days. Just a theory.
From there, the group was all situated and things were settled. The vacation was underway. Even with the looming threat over their heads.
Gentaro knew what he had to do. There was one way that the place could be saved, but first he needed to meet the representative fighter.
He was going to win the resort in a Primal match.